You can read loads of great articles and collect the best recommendations — but if you do not apply any of them, it is all wasted time. To make a difference you need the skills to put the wheels in motion. These are some of my favourite tips, learned right after college, that are still true today.

Wake up early to make space for yourself and get your personal work done. This is the best time to dedicate your mind to your most important work or studies — before your day is cluttered by the stress that comes later.

One uninterrupted hour at 5:30 AM is worth three hours at 10 PM. Stack your most cognitively demanding work into the morning and let the rest of the day handle the lighter loads.

Make time for exercise every single day. Personal favourites: yoga for mental composure and tennis for sharpness. An incredible day is when you can do both.

Exercise is not just for health — it is for cognitive function. A 40-minute walk improves the rest of your studying for the next four hours.

Write down your goals along with the known milestones for achieving them. Check in every day to see what you can do to get closer to the next milestone.

As long as you do something — anything — toward your overall goal every single day, count it as a win. Compounding small wins beats waiting for the perfect day.

Hire a mentor — or join a team — to help you avoid the mistakes that cost you months. A coach or experienced team can prepare and guide you through the unexpected before it derails you.

I learned this the hard way. Now I value my time over trying to figure everything out alone.

Be around people who think like you, aspire like you, and are driven like you. It is a lot easier to run surrounded by strong race horses than it is when you are stuck in the middle of a herd of cows.

(I love cows — just not when I am focused on reaching my goals.)